1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to a phone holder which is mounted in a passenger compartment of a vehicle to enable holding of a mobile phone.
2. Description of the Background Art
In recent years, as mobile phones become popular, various types of phone holders for use in e.g., a vehicle which enable holding of the mobile phone in a connected state with a holder connector have been developed. One of such phone holders comprises a holder main body such as a base frame capable of holding a mobile phone, and a holder connector mounted on the holder main body or a vehicle body via a curl cord or its equivalent. A mobile phone is held by the phone holder in such a manner that it is connected to the holder connector when the mobile phone is positioned relative to the holder main body and held therein by an engaging means.
In the above phone holder, a connecting operation of the mobile phone with the holder connector and a positioning operation of the mobile phone relative to the holder main body are not feasible when a driver has to perform the above operations during driving. Further, while driving, a holding state of the mobile phone set in the phone holder is unstable due to a shaking of the vehicle and the like. Accordingly, the phone may be disconnected from the holder connector or may come out of the holder main body.
To eliminate the above drawbacks, a phone holder as shown in FIG. 45 has been developed. This phone holder is incorporated in a vehicle body 200, and comprises a holder main body 202 and a hollow portion (phone insertion space) 204 to insert a mobile phone T in a substantially horizontal posture from above. A holder connector 206 is fixed to a side portion of the hollow portion 204 to be connected to the mobile phone T placed in the hollow portion 204.
The above phone holder of prior art has the problem such that when setting the mobile phone T in the hollow portion 204 in a connected state with the holder connector 206, the mobile phone T has to be inserted in the hollow portion 204 from above in the direction of arrow {circle around (1)} (first stage of insertion). Then, the mobile phone T has to be shifted by a certain length horizontally toward the holder connector 206 in the direction of arrow {circle around (2)} (second stage of insertion) to be connected with the holder connector 206. Accordingly, a length L1 of the hollow portion 204 must be set greater than a length L2 of the mobile phone T by a length corresponding to a stroke of connecting the mobile phone T with the holder connector 206 in the second stage. Accordingly, the phone holder requires a large space for installation, becoming a hindrance against an idea of installing the phone holder in a limited space of the vehicle body.
In view of the above problem of the prior art, it is an object of this invention to provide a phone holder that enables holding of a mobile phone with an easy operation in a stable state.
To fulfil the above object, the phone holder according to this invention comprises: a movable casing formed with a hollow portion adapted for receiving the mobile phone: a holder connector mounted on the movable casing at such a position as to be connectable with the mobile phone when the mobile phone is inserted in the movable casing; and a fixed casing for supporting the movable casing. The movable casing is settable between a housed position where the movable casing is housed in the fixed casing along with the mobile phone and a detachable position where the hollow portion is accessible to allow insertion of the mobile phone with the holder connector and ejection of the mobile phone.
It should be noted that xe2x80x9cthe housed positionxe2x80x9d of the movable casing is not limited to a position where the movable casing along with the mobile phone is completely accommodated in the fixed casing, and includes a state where part of the movable casing and the mobile phone is exposed outside of the fixed casing.
In this arrangement, the mobile phone can be inserted in the same direction as the connecting direction with the holder connector in the hollow portion of the movable casing when the movable casing is set to the detachable position, thereby facilitating connection with the holder connector in the connecting direction. After the connection, simply setting the movable casing to the housed position enables housing of the movable casing along with the mobile phone in the fixed casing.
The above and other objects, features and advantages of the present invention will become more apparent upon a reading of the following detailed description and drawings.